Ken Masters
|faction = Street Fighter|category = Capcom}} Ken Masters (ケン・マスターズ Ken Masutāzu?) is a video game character and deuteragonist of the Street Fighter series, first appearing in the original Street Fighter. Similiar to his friend Ryu, Ken's goal is to test his power against many different fighters and strives to become stronger, but holds more restraint due to not wanting to jeopardize his family life. He is used by Gojiran. About Ken Ken Masters is Ryu's long-life best friend and is similar to him in most ways, but the two have become more differentiated as they grew older. Ken is more arrogant and confident in himself, and loves the thrill and intensity of a fight while associating himself with the element of fire. Like him, Ken wants to test his power against stronger opponents,and while he did when he didn't have a family, he no longer wants to be the strongest due to not wanting to jeopardize his family life. History Early Life When Ken was about 12 years old, his father, a rich hotel tycoon, thought that his son needed to learn about discipline, or his son would become a spoiled brat all of his life and try to leech onto the Masters' family fortune. In order to do so, the elder Masters sent Ken to Japan to train under his best friend, the mysterious karate master Gouken. At first, Ken was very hesitant to learn from Gouken, wanting to go back to the United States, but later began to respect his master. He even enjoyed the company of Gouken's adopted son, Ryu, since he had a foil to finally pull pranks on, although this got Ken into a lot of trouble. Ryu and Ken would later become best friends and each other's principal rivals. When Ryu was 23, Gouken decided that both of his pupils had grown up to be fine fighters and decided that their training was over and could now leave the dojo. Ryu decided to travel the world in order to continue his training, whereas Ken was finally happy to be going back home to the United States after his years of straining his back for his master, Gouken, and finally learning the meaning of humility. After coming home, Ken competed in many different Martial Arts tournaments held in the United States, winning most of them. Ken did not participate in the first World Warrior tournament; instead, he fought in (and won) the premiere U.S. Martial Arts tournament that had been previously won by Charlie Nash, as well as meeting a very attractive girl named Eliza, who became his girlfriend. After winning the U.S. martial arts tournament, Ken returned to his training ground to tell his master Gouken the good news. There, he witnessed his master's death at the hands of Akuma. Enraged and grief-stricken, he attacked Akuma, only to be knocked to the ground by a single blow. Ken began wandering the world in search of Akuma, and his friend and fellow student Ryu; he wanted to tell Ryu what happened to their master, and also hoped to win a match against him. He eventually finds Ryu in seclusion. Ryu is dejected upon seeing his long-time friend, but Ken makes him go try out a spar anyway. After winning, Ken realizes how stressed out his best friend is since his fight with Sagat. Ryu explains to Ken that deep within him there is a burning rage - a power trying to overcome him. Giving Ryu his red headband, Ken tells him to stay focused, which greatly cheers Ryu up. Ken returns home and, with Eliza's support, begins training harder, knowing even with his recent feelings, that Ryu is always stronger than he looks. Ken begins to wonder about his own life. Ryu seemed to be on the right track again, but what of him? Along the road to proving himself again, he encounters Karin, who tells him she has followed his career and is trying to best her rival Sakura to prove she is superior. Ken advises her it's good to have a rival, not for supremacy, but to keep on training harder and focusing. With this, Ken finds himself again and is focused once more. Going off to meet up with Sakura, they have a friendly match, and Ken finally realizes that Ryu has the right idea all along. Both he and Sakura begin to travel to find Ryu, but their path crosses with that of Shadaloo dictator M. Bison. Ken confronts him but is easily defeated and placed under Bison's hypnosis. Bison then uses brainwashed Ken to lure Ryu out of hiding. Once Ryu shows up, Bison makes Ken fight him. Ryu wins and manages to release Ken of Bison's mind control. Ryu then proceeds to fight Bison but loses and, just like Ken before him, is turned into a slave of Bison's Psycho Power. Sagat appears and, enraged by Bison's actions, engages Ryu in an attempt to break Bison's mental grip on him. Ken, now free and aided by Sakura, attacks Bison. This intervention, along with Sagat's presence, makes Ryu come to his senses. Recovered, Ryu takes on Bison once more. Bison senses Ryu's dark power (which Bison describes as "The ultimate form of Psycho Power") and attempts to manipulate Ryu's mind once again. At his friends urging, Ryu resists and defeats Bison with a powerful Hadoken. Ken is happy to see his old friend again. With a promise of a new duel, the two part their ways. Street Fighter 2 Ken received an invitation to the second World Warrior tournament; however, since his last U.S. Martial Arts tournament, he had let himself spend too much time with his girlfriend, Eliza, rather than training. Only Ryu's personal challenge rekindled Ken's fighting spirit and persuaded him to enter the second World Warrior tournament. After the events of Street Fighter II, Ken is married to Eliza, something he had apparently vowed only to do after winning a decisive victory against Ryu. However it is unknown if the two fought during the tournament, or if Ken actually won if they even did. No details have been stated, although it is heavily implied that they indeed did fight, and Ken won. Street Fighter 4 When a new tournament is announced, Ken is unsure whether to compete, as Eliza is now far along in pregnancy and he doesn't want to leave her. Sensing his inner conflict, Eliza assures him that she'll be fine and that the baby isn't due for a while yet, so he should go meet up with Ryu and tell him she says hi. Ken enters, and in the absence of gas stations near the location for the final, he parks his SUV in a convenient spot, calls Eliza to check on her, and continues the rest of the way on foot. Over the course of the tournament, he encounters his self-appointed rival, Rufus, although the results of that match are unknown. It is later implied that Ken may have defeated M. Bison in the tournament. After the tournament, it is discovered that Gouken is still alive, and Ken and Ryu pursue him as he leaves. Ken is upset that Gouken has not said anything to them, but Gouken counters that they no longer need a master. Ken and Ryu head home on foot, and Rufus passes them by on his motorbike, calling them losers. Soon however, Rufus' bike runs out of gas, and Ken and Ryu reach the SUV; Ken offers Rufus and his girlfriend Candy a lift, but Rufus refuses. Upon arriving home afterwards, he tells Eliza that although he did indeed get to fight Ryu, they had been so busy with the rest of the unfolding events that they hadn't been able to give it their all. Soon afterwards, their son is born and they name him Mel. Ken felt the power of Akuma and Ryu's battle, and he sought out there only to find no one but his master Gouken and an unconscious Ryu. Shocked, Gouken said that he would explain everything to him once Ryu wakes up. Later, Ryu and Ken discover the existence of their master and chase their long-lost master along a cliff face, with Ken wanting Gouken to stick around while Ryu wishes him well. Afterwards, he and Ken are walking through the desert while Rufus mocks them on his motorcycle, though it later breaks down and he is left pushing it while Ryu and Ken drives by (in Ken's jeep). Ryu later bids Sakura farewell as she, Dan and Blanka leave for home on a cruise ship. Some time later, having decided that his battles have made him stronger, he meets a now-older Sakura. What happens next is unknown, although Gouken might have taught Ryu the Shin Shoryuken and Denjin Hadoken at some point before Street Fighter III. Street Fighter 5 Ken, Eliza and Mel are invited to a party hosted by Karin. During the party, Ken reflects on the various sparring matches between him and Ryu. The family gets lost on the way to the party and encounter Birdie, who thinks they’re trespassing, resulting in a fight with Ken. Karin arrives and offers Ken a pre-meal fight as an apology for Birdie attacking him, which Ken accepts. Afterwards, he and Eliza wonder about why Ryu isn't at the party. In the main story, Ken came to visit Ryu, who was in the middle of meditating. After beating him in a sparring match, Ryu tells him that he will join them when his training is complete. Later, Ken arrives with the rest of the fighters called by Karin to the Kanzuki Estate, where they plan their first infiltration of the Shadaloo base. Ken, Chun-Li and Cammy travel to Brazil to search for the first missing chess piece, held by Laura Matsuda. While there, he saves Sean from F.A.N.G, but is then attacked by his older sister Laura, who mistakes him for an enemy. After the fight, Sean sorts out the misunderstanding by indicating the unconscious Shadaloo soldiers. Laura then decides to join them, but on the condition that Ken add Matsuda Jiu-Jitsu to his selection of online karate classes, which he agress to. Chun-Li then leaves to assist Karin in the group's first infiltration. Ken remains with Laura, and the duo fend off more Shadaloo soldiers, with Ken taking out three with a single Shinryuken. Ken reunites with Ryu just before the group begins the final assault against Shadaloo. After Bison's final defeat at Ryu's hands and Shadaloo's destruction, Ken finds Ryu alone and meditating, and decide to have another friendly sparring match to see if Ryu had found his 'true answer'. Ryu manages to defeat Ken, but drops his red headband; Ken hands it back to him, figuring he might still need it. The two are later seen sharing a friendly fist bump. It is unknown if he felt the energy between the next fight with Ryu and Akuma, although it is implied he did not feel it. Street Fighter 3 Sometime before the series, Ken and his family move to southern California from Washington State. Ken then entered the third World Warrior tournament. By this time, a Brazilian teenager named Sean had been pestering him to become his student, and Ken reluctantly accepted, beginning to train him. He fought Sean in the tournament and won against him; however, he drops out upon realizing Ryu was defeated by Oro. Ken begins to train his son Mel in rudimentary fighting techniques. He also told Sean to go find Ryu and challenge him, giving him some free time with Eliza. Though bored, Ken hears about a mysterious organization and goes to investigate, and he may have confronted Urien. He learned that Ryu had sought him out and traveled all the way to New York from Oakland for their long-awaited rematch. Tossing some friendly jabs at each other, both have a good fight, ultimately won by Ryu. Since then, Ken has continued to train Sean and Mel, handle his family and business, and keep up with his old friend Ryu. Ken wakes up Sean who was beaten unconscious after being knocked down by his opponent in the first round. In Ken's ending, he wins his third straight U.S. Martial Arts tournament, which is a new record, and offers the trophy to Sean who turns the offer down, wanting to earn it for himself, in which Ken understood. Crossover History - dates unknown Marvel vs. Capcom series Ken appears as a playable character in several games in the series: Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. Ken's name can be seen in a board in the background in Ryu's Marvel vs. Capcom 3 ending, where he prepares for a match against Marvel Comics character Mr. X. In Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, Ken makes a cameo in the New Metro City - Downtown stage, where an ad for a special match between him and Marvel's Iron Fist can be seen in the background. Capcom vs. SNK series Ken appears in the series and aids in the fight against the Orochi power-infused Shin Akuma with Ryu, and later with God Rugal. SNK vs. Capcom In SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, Ken is captured by Shadoloo and confronted by M. Bison. M. Bison forces Ken to be infused with the Psycho Power, in which its effects taint his mind with being obsessed to fight and defeat Ryu, and to be the strongest with no limits, much like Ryu's own dark side. And so Ken willingly gives in, as he becomes Violent Ken. Mowing down and defeating many opponents, he encounters Ryu and also defeats him, much to his enjoyment. Filled with the enjoyment that he has defeated his rival, Ken goes on a rampage and begins spreading destruction. He is only stopped by Orochi Iori, who in a tough and deadly fight, Iori manages to defeat Ken. Afterwards Ken wakes up on a shoreline wondering what had happened, and is encountered by a joyful Eliza who dearly missed him. Both return home. Pocket Fighter Ken appears as a playable character in Capcom's Pocket Fighter, although non-canon, he grows bored of married life and looks for a pretty girl to hang with. He eventually finds Morrigan, and has tea with her until Eliza sees them both. Street Fighter X Tekken When Ryu heads to Antartica to search for Pandora, fearing it has a connection with the Satsui no Hado, Ken joins him. The two head to the South Pole, fighting those who they meet along the way, a list which includes Kazuya Mishima and Nina Williams. When they reach the place Pandora crashed and defeat Ogre, Ryu vanishes with the box, leaving behind only the headband that Ken gave him. Ken searches all over the South Pole for Ryu, but finds nothing. However, Ken remains confident that his best friend will come back. Project X Zone '' Ken, alongside Ryu, Chun-Li, Juri, and Seth, makes an appearance in the crossover strategy RPG ''Project X Zone. He is paired with Ryu as a Pair Unit. Some of the other characters note that their friends have learned moves from Ken via his online karate courses, much to the chagrin of Ryu, who not only feels that their master would be disappointed, but he is also annoyed that Ken seems to have forgotten about their style's bloody roots. Project X Zone 2 Ken returns in the sequel to Project X Zone, once again paired with Ryu as a Pair Unit. Arriving from a Martial Arts tournament in New York, they first appear chasing a robotic Axel Stone to the party, who are tied up fighting M. Bison and Juri along with their lackeys. Ryu and Ken agree to join the party after destroying the robotic Axel. However, in Chapter 29, Ken is brainwashed by M. Bison at Sword Valley, along with one Ken's cohorts, Lady Estellise. In his brainwashed state, he once again calls for Ryu to fight him. Ryu agrees, assuring Ken that he will never win while under M. Bison's mind control, and willingly submits to the Satsui no Hado in order to use techniques powerful enough to beat the Psycho Power out of Ken and restore him to his senses. The two then rejoin the party and defeat Bison together, causing Bison to muse about Ken's Power of Nothingness briefly before fleeing. The party would later encounter Bison multiple times throughout the remainder of the story. Personality Ken is most easily recognized by his brown sparring gloves (yellow in the Alpha series and red in the EX series) and bright red gi with the sleeves neaptly removed, similar to Ryu's (Capcom has said that a red gi was chosen to stand out and to reflect his more flashy style of fighting) and it is usually seen in better shape than Ryu's (except for in the Street Fighter III series), since he can easily afford to keep up with and/or own spares. He has blonde hair (his natural hair color is black but he dyes it blond) and long black eyebrows. He wears a black belt at his waist and fights barefooted. In the Street Fighter Alpha series, he had longer hair tied into a ponytail with a red ribbon. The official explanation for the loss of the ribbon is that he gave it to Ryu to wear during the events of Street Fighter Alpha 2 (as stated in Ken's own ending); Ryu was distracted during his fight with Ken because he had just fought Sagat, and ended up losing. Ken gave Ryu the headband to remind him of their fight. In Street Fighter II V, Ken has red-hair similar to the live-action movie and the animated series along with fighting barehanded. Ken usually wears casual outfits throughout the episodes; for example, a yellow formal suit jacket with a red tank top, matching white pants with a black belt to his waist and black shoes. By the time of Street Fighter V, Ken's appearance has undergone the first major design change in the character's history. Ken's gi top now hangs around his waist and he wears a black v-neck training shirt with several red linings in its place. He sports black sparring gloves and has his hair tied back in a topknot instead of hanging loose which it was grown into medium length after the events of Street Fighter IV ''series and now wears black ankle wraps with red linings instead of barefoot. His second alternate costume is one of his disguised forms in ''Pocket Fighter but updated; he wears a black leather jacket with maroon outlines and a white tank top underneath, red denim pants with a black belt, a neon yellow buckle on his waist and black leather shoes. His sunglasses are hanging loose on his tank top. His medium-length hair is shorter. Relationships Allies Ryu Ryu is Ken's best friend from his childhood, as the two have trained in the same art of Ansatsuken for a long time. They share a very close bond to each other and will help out each other no matter the cost. Both of them have also trained together under Gouken. Gouken Like Ryu, Ken has immense respect for Gouken. Rufus Rufus constantly fights Ken but Ken keeps forgetting who he is. Sean Ken highly respects Sean's abilities, enough to make him his personal disciple. Sometimes they can be sarcastic at each other and trade jabs but are at very good terms. Guile He is Guile's brother-in-law, because his wife Eliza is the younger sister of Guile's wife Julia. He may not be aware that there's parts of him that Guile has reservations of. That doesn't stop both Ken and Guile from getting along though, Ken knows what Guile likes and frequently gives him interesting information, such as Yanagiya's J-GEL hair gel. Enemies M. Bison Ken is aware of Bison's villainy and seeks to defeat him. During the events of Street Fighter II, Bison brainwashed Ken, and forcibly infused him with Psycho Power in SVC Chaos to become Violent Ken. Akuma Like Ryu, Ken is aware of the threat Akuma possesses over humanity. Fighting Style Ken Masters, like Ryu, is a student of the unnamed Ansatsuken art referred to as Shotokan. In the original Street Fighter''and the first iteration of ''Street Fighter II, Ken was a clone of Ryu, with only one attack (a throw) appearing to be aesthetically different. In later Street Fighter II editions, Ken's character was modified to focus on style and attack speed. Powers and Abilities Ken Masters *'Shotokan' - A form of martial arts, Ken is very experienced in this art and has thus mastered it and continues to train and use it. His turn on this art revolves around a rushdown strategy that executes powerful combos off of quick hit-confirms while maintaining mobility. powerful singular strikes and usage of his energy. *'Supernatural Strength' - Ken possesses great strength, able to lift and destroy battleships and small islands at top strength. *'Supernatural Speed' - Ken possesses great speed, able to travel at supersonic speeds. *'Ki manipulation' - Ken has full control and mastery over ki or life-force manipulation, using the power of his own life force to make into his own power. **'Pyrokinetic Ki manipulation' - Ken has full control and mastery over fiery ki. **'Electrokinetic Ki manipulation' - Ken has some control over electric ki. **'Photokinetic Ki manipulation' - Ken has some control over light ki. *'Supernatural Stamina' - Ryu can fight for several days without getting tired. *'Enhanced Durability' - Ryu is quite durable. *'Fighting World Intelligence' - Ken is fairly knowledgeable in the world of martial arts and fighting. Evil Forms Ken has possessed at least two evil forms from two different media. These consist of Brainwashed Ken, the result of Ken being brainwashed by Bison, and Violent Ken, the result of Ken being imbued with Psycho Power by Bison. Brainwashed= Brainwashed Ken In the animated movie of Street Fighter, Ken was kidnapped by Bison and was forcibly brainwashed to bide by his commands. In this state he is known as Brainwashed Ken. As brainwashed, Ken's hair becomes slightly darker and his skin also becomes darker. His eyes pinken as well and is always portrayed with a frown. Ken will only listen to M. Bison within this state and will do what he is asked. Other than being brainwashed, Ken's abilities remain the same. *'Shotokan' - Ken still knows his take on the Shotokan style. *'Supernatural Strength' - At the time Ken's former strength was kept. *'Supernatural Speed' - At the time Ken's former speed was kept. *'Ki manipulation' - At the time Ken kept his control over ki. **'Pyrokinetic Ki manipulation' - Ken at the time had full control over fiery ki. **'Electrokinetic Ki manipulation' - Ken had some control over electric ki. **'Photokinetic Ki manipulation' - Ken had some control over light ki. *'Supernatural Stamina' - Ken can still fight for several days without getting tired. *'Enhanced Durability' - Ken is quite durable. *'Fighting World Intelligence' - Ken still keeps his knowledge of the fighting world. |-|Psycho Powered= Violent Ken In SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, Ken's main story involves him being kidnapped by Shadaloo from his home and being forcibly imbued with Psycho Power by Bison, birthing this evil form. As Violent Ken, Ken's appearance goes through drastic changes. His hair puffs into a spiky afro and turns white, his eyes turn into a flaming orange and his skin color darkens much more to a dark brown. Ken slightly increases in muscle mass and his muscle tone is more defined. He has fangs, and his gi darkens, and may sometimes be partially ripped apart. In personality, Ken's character almost completely changes. He is obsessed with the desire to defeat Ryu and be the strongest with no limits. He has no sympathy or empathy for anything and will spread violence and destruction if he so pleases. His desire to fight has become immense and insatiable and does not associate himself with anyone, considering himself as an individual unstoppable force. *'Shotokan' - Ken still knows his take on the Shotokan style but it is less stylish, and instead more ruthless, aggressive, merciless, brutal and fearless. *'Supernatural Strength' - Ken's strength increases much more. *'Supernatural Speed' - Ken's speed increases much more, able to move at hypersonic speeds and beyond. *'Psycho Power manipulation' - Ken has full control over Psycho Power. **'Psycho Powered-pyrokinetic ki manipulation' - The Psycho Power completely overtakes his own flames, imbuing and strengthening them with Psycho Power and turning into violet pink and purple as a result. **'Psycho Powered-electrokinetic ki manipulation' - The Psycho Power completely overtakes his control over electricity, imbuing and strengthening them with Psycho Power and turning into violet and purple as a result. *'Teleport Dash' - His signature technique, Ken can teleport in a dash-like appearance. *'Supernatural Stamina' - Ken can fight for several weeks without getting tired. *'Supernatural Durability' - Ken's durability also increases, able to withstand toxins and extreme temperatures, corrosives, punctures, and concussions among other things. *'Fighting World Intelligence' - Ken still keeps his knowledge of the fighting world. Other forms Pandora Ken Ken once used the Pandora's power in curiosity. Haven accessed it for a brief time, he kept it for a little while but decided not to use it from then on, feelings its brief negative effects. Ken's body undergoes drastic changes. His skin turns completely black while his gi turns purple, while his headband turns indigo, his eyes red, hair white and tribal markings of the Pandora appearing on his arms. His gloves also turn purple. *'Shotokan Fighting Style' - Ken still keeps the Shotokan fighting style. *'Supernatural Strength' - Ken strength increases. *'Supernatural Speed' - Ken's speed increases. *'Pandora Ergokinesis' - Ken is granted access to the Pandora's power. Trivia *As a result of potential lawsuits, Ken was given the last name "Masters" so he would not be confused with Ken Carson from Barbie, a Mattel owned franchise. *Ken has been playable in every installment of Street Fighter, much like Ryu (a distinction that is unique to them), both main series and spinoff. However, Ken is not playable in a few crossover titles, such as Capcom Fighting Evolution, both versions of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, and Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds and the updated "Ultimate" version. He is also not playable in Super Smash Bros. 4, as Ryu is the only playable Street Fighter character (Ken's theme is able to be selected to play on Ryu's stage). This is likely due to a desire not to take up many spaces in their rosters with overly similar characters. *Ryu can use Ken's moveset in Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes via Mode Change. *When fought as a CPU opponent in some games, particularly Street Fighter Alpha and Street Fighter EX, Ken will occasionally do a light Shoryuken, followed by a medium one as soon as he lands, and then a strong one. This AI behavior has remained consistent in most of his appearances. *Ken is one of the eleven playable Street Fighter characters who are married or in a romantic relationship. *In Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact, if Ken defeats Sean, he would say to him "You must defeat Ryu to stand a chance!" This is based on Ryu's infamously mistranslated win quote ("You must defeat my Shoryuken/Sheng Long in order to stand a chance!"). *In the Street Fighter III games, Ken seems to break the fourth wall in one of his quotes against Hugo or Gill in Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact ("It's losers like you that make this game boring!"). *Ken's birthday is on St. Valentine's Day. *Ken also shares his birthday with Kolin and Natsu Ayuhara. *Though born in the United States, Ken is actually only one-quarter American and three-quarters Japanese *Ken's stage in Street Fighter Alpha 2 has cameos by several other Capcom characters, including those from the Darkstalkers series and Captain Commando from the arcade game of the same name. *In SNK vs. Capcom: SvC Chaos, as Violent Ken, his battle stance in his intro is similar to Akuma 's and Evil Ryu's; however, he turns clockwise instead of counterclockwise. *Ken's win quote against Lei Wulong in Street Fighter × Tekken is based on Lei resembling Jackie Chan. *In the original Street Fighter, there's unused audio in the game files for a "Fire Kick", along with unused graphics that suggest Ryu and Ken were planned to have a fourth special move. *In Street Fighter: Resurrection, Ken's birthyear is mistakenly listed as 1966 while his offical (former) birthyear is 1965. *Street Fighter II suggests that Ken is from or around Detroit, MI as that location shows up on the map when he is selected as an opponent. *Some fans have pointed out that Ken's theme sounds similar to the Cheap Trick song "Mighty Wings" from Top Gun. Street Fighter II composer Yoko Shimomura stated in a interview: "I have heard people say that, and I watched the movie before I composed the song, so I can't deny I may have been inspired subconsciously. But I didn't go into it thinking, 'OK I'm gonna make this song sound like Mighty Wings.'". *Ken's first alternate costume in Street Fighter IV is the costume for King Cobra, a character that was scrapped in favor of Rufus. *Ken's redesign of Street Fighter V was badly received by fans: his face has been turned into a meme due to an unfortunate change in his facial features, and his new hairstyle has also been taunted, commonly calling him "banana hair". Category:Humans Category:Street Fighter Character Category:Male Category:Characters (Gojiran) Category:Role-Play Characters Category:Lawful Good Category:Married Category:Video Game Character Category:Martial Artists